Cooling fabric and facemask made therewith

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure relates to imparting a cooling effect on textiles or fabrics by treating them and incorporating sugar alcohol and carbonate compositions.

FIELD

The aspects of the present disclosure relate to fabric, compositions, method and articles made from fabric including cooling fabrics.

BACKGROUND

Fabric performance characteristics including providing a cooling effect to the wearer can be important to the wearability of the fabric. Although, many fabrics may indicate as having “cooling” properties, such fabrics may not perform a cooling function, and only serve to enhance breathability. Some other cooling fabrics may incorporate a layer of cooling materials, such as cooling gels and phase change materials, but these also have shortcomings, particularly when incorporated as a continuous layer. Some cooling materials may also not have the desired characteristics of the base fabric, such as drape, stretch, and the like.

There is a need for novel treatments for fabrics that provide adequate cooling of the wearer without scarifying appearance and comfort.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings illustrate presently preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, and together with the general description given above and the detailed description given below, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 is an exemplary illustration of a facemask embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 2 is an exemplary illustration of a perspective view of an embodiment of the present disclosure disposed on a wearer.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment, a treated fabric or textile is provided. The treated fabric or textile includes a textile or fabric material, a sugar alcohol component, a carbonate component and a suitable binder to affix the sugar alcohol component and the carbonate component to the textile or fabric material

In another embodiment, a facemask is provided. The facemask includes a facemask body including a plurality of sides and at least one layer of treated fabric or textile and adapted for disposal over the nostrils and mouth of a wearer, the treated fabric or textile including a textile or fabric material; a sugar alcohol component; a carbonate component; and a suitable binder to affix the sugar alcohol component and the carbonate component to the textile or fabric material; and first and second ear bands disposed on opposing sides of the facemask body and configured to maintain the plurality of sides of the facemask body in substantial contact with the skin surface of a wearer having a mouth and nose so as to substantially prevent the passage of airborne material in the environment into the nose and mouth of the wearer except through the treated fabric or textile of the facemask body.

In another embodiment, a method of treating a fabric or textile material is provided. The method of treating a fabric or textile material includes mixing a combination of water, a sugar alcohol component, a carbonate component and a suitable binder to affix the sugar alcohol component and the carbonate component to the textile or fabric material to form an aqueous solution; and exposing the fabric or textile material to the aqueous solution.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various embodiments are described hereinafter. It should be noted that the specific embodiments are not intended as an exhaustive description or as a limitation to the broader aspects discussed herein. One aspect described in conjunction with a particular embodiment is not necessarily limited to that embodiment and can be practiced with any other embodiment(s).

The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the elements (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the embodiments and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the claims unless otherwise stated. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential.

Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities of ingredients, reaction conditions, and so forth used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about.” Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in this specification and attached claims are approximations that may vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by embodiments of the present disclosure. As used herein, “about” may be understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art and can vary to some extent depending upon the context in which it is used. If there are uses of the term which are not clear to persons of ordinary skill in the art, given the context in which it is used, “about” may mean up to plus or minus 10% of the particular term.

The terms “%”, “% by weight”, “weight %” and “wt %” are all intended to mean unless otherwise stated, percents by weight based upon a total weight of 100% end composition weight. Thus 10% by weight means that the component constitutes 10 wt. parts out of every 100 wt. parts of total composition.

The aspects of the present disclosure relate to include a textile or fabric (the terms can be used interchangeably) that is treated to impart a cooling effect and methods of making and using them, compositions used to make or treat them and articles made from the fabric that include a composition that imparts a cooling effect for the user or wearer of the fabric or an article made therefrom.

The “cooling effect” may be the result of making or treating the textile with a composition that elicits an endothermic effect that reduces the temperature of the textile.

Embodiments of the present disclosure include textile or fabric materials treated or incorporating sugar alcohols and carbonates as well as and methods of making and using the fabric, compositions used to make or treat the fabric and articles made from the fabric so treated, made or manufactured. Those embodiments may include the sugar alcohols to carbonates in ratios of from about 15:about 85 (sugar alcohol content:carbonate content) to about 25:about 75 (sugar alcohol content:carbonate content) or about 20:about 80 (sugar alcohol content:carbonate content).

The sugar alcohol component of the present disclosure can include, for example, xylitol, mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, lactitol, isomalt, maltitol, hydrogenated starch, hydrolysates (HSH) and mixtures thereof, preferably xylitol. The amount of sugar alcohol or mixture of sugar alcohols in the embodiment to be applied to the fabric or textile (i.e., in solution) can range from about 0.10 wt % to about 0.30 wt % in aqueous solution or solution with another suitable solvent and the amount in dry form after application to the textile or fabric and dried thereon (i.e., after the water or other suitable solvent has been removed from the above aqueous solution during the drying process) can range from about 2.6 wt % to about 6.6 wt %.

The carbonate component of the present disclosure can include sodium bicarbonate as well as potassium, lithium, caesium, francium or rubidium carbonate, etc. and mixtures thereof, preferably sodium bicarbonate. The amount of carbonate component or mixture of carbonate components in the embodiment to be applied to the fabric or textile (i.e., in solution) can range from about 0.60 wt % to about 1.00 wt % in an aqueous solution or solution with another suitable solvent and the amount in dry form after application to the textile or fabric and dried thereon (i.e., after the water or other suitable solvent has been removed from the above solution during the drying process) can range from about 16.2 wt % to about 20.2 wt %.

In order to affix the sugar alcohol component and the carbonate component of the present disclosure to fabric or textile material to be treated so with, a pigment binder of an aqueous preparation of casein containing ε-caprolactam, such as Pigment Binder AH, is include in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Suitable binders can natural or synthetic or mixtures thereof. Suitable natural binders can include casein, latex rubbers, chicle, alginates, xanthan, carrageenan, etc. and mixtures thereof, preferably, casein. Suitable synthetic binders can include synthetic acrylic copolymers, glycerol ethoxylate-co-propoxylates, styrene acrylate copolymers, vinyl acrylate copolymers, silicon copolymers, etc. and mixtures thereof. The amount of binder or mixture of binders in the embodiment to be applied to the fabric or textile (i.e., in solution) can range from about 1 wt % to about 3 wt % in an aqueous solution or solution with another suitable solvent and the amount in dry form after application to the textile or fabric and dried thereon (i.e., after the water or other suitable solvent has been removed from the above solution during the drying process) can range from about 36 wt % to about 40 wt %

The embodiments of the present disclosure include treated fabrics or textiles that are preferably treated with aqueous compositions of the sugar alcohol component and the carbonate component mixture.

The textile or fabric material to which the sugar alcohol component and carbonate component of the present disclosure can be applied can include woven and non-woven fabrics, both natural and synthetic. Natural fabrics include animal fibers, such as, for example wool, silk, camel hair, and angora as well as plant fibers, such as, for example cotton, flax, hemp, and jute. Synthetic fabrics include acetate, acrylic, lyocell, microfibre, nylon, polyester, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, rayon, and lycra. Blends of natural and synthetic fabrics and/or fibers can also be utilized. Additionally, conductive components can be incorporated into these fabrics. Conductive fibers, films, or powder, could be silver, copper, gold, aluminum, iron and mixtures thereof, as well as conductive polymers and copolymers such as polyacetylene, polypyrrole, polyindole, polyaniline, polyphenylene vinylene, carbon fibers and mixtures thereof.

Other fabrics, textiles and other similar substrates can also include those included in U.S. Pat. No. 6,860,122, Goldberg, entitled “Fabric with pain-relieving characteristics and structures therefrom, and method” and U.S. Pat. No. 9,878,175, Goldberg, entitled “Pain relieving fabric,” the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.

Exposing including applying, dipping, spraying, soaking the fabric textile one or multiple times to put on one or more coats of a mixture of the sugar alcohol component and the carbonate component (e.g., aqueous mixture) and dried at a temperature of between about 120° F. and about 140° F., about 130° F. with room temperature be about 70° F. The mixture of the sugar alcohol component and the carbonate component can be formed and dried at a temperature of between about 120° F. and about 140° F., about 130° F. Multiple coats of the mixture can be applied with drying the treated fabric or textile between the application of coats. Fabric loading of the embodiments of the present disclosure (including the sugar alcohol component, the carbonate component and other optional ingredients of the present disclosure) can be from about 1.0% to about 20.0% or about 10% of the fabric total weight.

Optional ingredients for embodiments of the present disclosure include antimicrobials and odor control compounds.

Examples of antimicrobial compounds can include quaternary ammonium compounds and soluble polyvalent metal salts. Examples of quaternary ammonium compounds include benzalkonium chloride, benzethonium chloride, methylbenzethonium chloride, cetalkoniumchloride, cetylpyridinium, chloride, cetrimonium, cetrimide, dofanium chloride, tetraethylammonium bromide, didecyldimethylammonium chloride, domiphen bromide, etc. or mixtures thereof Examples of suitable cations for soluble polyvalent metal salts include zinc, magnesium, calcium, silver, copper, ferric, etc. and the corresponding suitable anions are gluconates, phosphates, sulfates, acetates, carbonates, chlorides, etc. as well as mixtures of different soluble polyvalent metal salts, zinc gluconate being the preferred soluble polyvalent metal salt. The amount of antimicrobial compound or mixture of antimicrobial compounds in the embodiment to be applied to the fabric or textile (i.e., in solution) can range from about 0.5 wt % to about 3 wt % in an aqueous solution or solution with another suitable solvent and the amount in dry form after application to the textile or fabric and dried thereon (i.e., after the water or other suitable solvent has been removed from the above solution during the drying process) can range from about 5.0 wt % to about 30 wt %.

Examples of odor control compounds can include unsaturated fatty acids include linoleic, stearidonic, palmitoleic, oleic, elaidic, sapienic, pinoleic, erucuc, etc. and mixtures thereof, methyl 10-undecylenate being preferred. The amount of odor control compound or mixture of odor control compounds in the embodiment to be applied to the fabric or textile (i.e., in solution) can range from about 0.05 wt % to about 0.20 wt % in an aqueous solution or solution with another suitable solvent and the amount in dry form after application to the textile or fabric and dried thereon (i.e., after the water or other suitable solvent has been removed from the above solution during the drying process) can range from about 1.0 wt % to about 4.0 wt %.

The treated fabric or textile embodiments of the present disclosure can be used to fabricate a variety of items including facemasks and face coverings where the treated fabric or textile is porous and designed to protect the wearer from inhaling various airborne germs (e.g., bacteria, viruses, etc.) and particles (e.g., pollen) by not allowing such airborne germs and particles to pass through the treated fabric or textile. The facemask is generally configured so as to provide a substantially secure fit which substantially reduces or prevents gaps and passage of such airborne germs and particles between the nostrils and mouth of the wearer and the surrounding environment (e.g., either during inhalation or exhalation) except through the treated fabric or textile which acts as a filter of such airborne germs and particles.

Other items that can be made using the treated fabric or textile embodiments of the present disclosure can include clothing and other garments to be worn, such as for example, pants, shorts, socks, shirts, jerseys, etc. (particularly those designed to be worn during athletic activity. Still other items can include filters (for example, air filters including filters for HVAC, air purifiers, automotive filters, etc.) and bedding and mattress cover materials including those used with human and pet beds (e.g., the covering material in pet beds on which a pet lies down).

FIG. 1 includes an embodiment of the present disclosure which is a facemask 100 (which can be disposable or reusable) that includes a mask body 102 and two ear bands 104A and 104B. The mask body 102 is made of a one or more layers of a porous treated fabric or textile embodiment of the present disclosure 106 (and can included one of more layer of porous untreated fabric or textile) and can include circumferential bands 108A, 108B, 108C and 108D of material that are the same or different material from a treated fabric or textile 106 and may be textile or fabric that is a treated embodiment of the present disclosure or not as well as flexible and may be more structurally rigid than the treated fabric or textile 106. Circumferential bands 108A, 108B, 108C and 108D should be capable of maintaining the sides of the mask 105A, 105B, 105C and 105D in substantial contact with the skin surface of the head of a wearer (e.g. face, chin, etc.) so as to prevent or substantially prevent the passage of airborne material in the environment to and into the nose and mouth of the wearer except through the fabric or textile of the mask body 102. The mask body 102 is of a suitable shape (e.g., rectangular in shape) to fit on the face of a user including over the lower portion of the face including covering the nose and mouth of the wearer. The two ear bands 104A and 104B are respectively connected to the two opposing sides 105A and 105B of the mask body 102 and positioned to be and of a suitable size and design to loops around the ears of the wearer, so that the mask body 102 can be held in place to cover over the nose and mouth of the wearer, as will be illustrated in FIG. 2.

The facemask can be generally made planar shaped (although other acceptable shapes can be used, for example, circular, square, rectangular, regular, irregular, symmetrical or asymmetrical shapes), with ear bands 104A and 104B thereof used to loop around the ears of the wearer and may be made of elastic or other stretchable material to allow easier application of the mask to the wearer. Since people's faces are not planar, facemasks such as these can have serious leakage problems. To resolve this problem, a plurality of folds 110 can be placed on the treated fabric or textile portion 106 of the facemask 100 extending generally horizontally, forming a cambered shape to cover over part of the face of the wearer.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is illustrated a perspective view of a facemask 100 disposed on a wearer. The mask body 102 is positioned to cover the mouth 112 and nose 114 of the wear and other parts of the wearer's face and is held in place by looping each ear band 104A and 104B around an adjacent ear 116A and 116B. The ear bands 104A and 104B are designed to fit over the ears 116A and 116B of the wearer and the plurality of folds 118 of the treated fabric or textile portion 106 allows for expansion of the mask body 102. In this manner, the lower end of the mask body 102, layer 120, can expand down over the chin 122 of the wearer and the upper end the mask body 102, layer 124, can extend up over the bridge 126 of the nose of the wearer 114. In this manner, the face mask 100 can provide some conformation to the face of the wearer to prevent contaminants from entering the environment or the respiratory system of the wearer due to the inhaling and exhaling of the wearer.

EXAMPLE 1

% Wet Ingredient Function basis % Dry basis 1 Water Solute 95.61 Trace 2 AH Binder Binder 1.67 38.0 3 Benzalkonium chloride 50% solution 0.56 12.7 4 Zn Gluconate Antiviral surface 1.11 25.3 treatment 5 Methyl 10-undecylenate Odor control 0.06 1.3 6 Xylitol Surface cooling 0.20 4.6 7 Sodium Bicarbonate Surface cooling 0.80 18.2 100.00 100.0 NOTES: fabric loading @ 1.0% to 20.0% (target 10%) of fabric total weight

Solution preparation involved a blending kettle with a mixing propeller, Order of addition of the components in the above table was as follows: Water, benzalkonium chloride, zinc gluconate, methyl 10-undecylenate, xylitol, AH binder and sodium bicarbonate at room temperature of 70° F. The fabric was sprayed or dipped, with the solution as described above at room temperature of 70° F., then dried at 130° F. Drying methods included air, heat tumble dry, or heat tunnel. For this example, the fabric in U.S. Pat. No. 6,860,122, Goldberg, entitled “Fabric with pain-relieving characteristics and structures therefrom, and method” and U.S. Pat. No. 9,878,175, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, can be used as the fabric portion.

Study to determine compositions that would yield an endothermic effect on fabrics

The study was done using 95% water and would add 5% of an ingredient or a combination of ingredients (cooling composition). The temperature of the water was taken as an initial reading, the ingredient was added, the temperature change was observed and the difference was recorded. The temperature reading indicated as “After” was taken when the temperature did not change for 5 minutes.

As a negative control Maltodextrin was used to show an exothermic reading.

Initial After Difference Ingredient or Mixture of Ingredients Deg F. Deg F. Deg F. Zinc Gluconate 71 70 1 Xylitol 71 68 3 Sorbitol 71 69 2 50:50 Xylitol/Sorbitol 71 69 2 50:50 Xylitol/Zinc gluconate 71 69 2 50:50 Sorbitol/Zinc gluconate 71 70 1 Maltodextrin* 72 73 −1 Sodium Bicarbonate 72 69 3 Sodium chloride 72 70 2 50:50 Xylitol/Sodium bicarbonate 72 69 3 20:80 Xylitol/Sodium bicarbonate 72 68 4 20:80 Zinc gluconate/Sodium 72 69 3 bicarbonate *Exothermic

This written description uses examples as part of the disclosure, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the disclosed implementations, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.

While there have been shown, described and pointed out, fundamental features of the present disclosure as applied to the exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of compositions, devices and methods illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. Moreover, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements and/or method steps, which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results, are within the scope of the present disclosure. Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements and/or method steps shown and/or described in connection with any disclosed form or embodiment of the present disclosure may be incorporated in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment as a general matter of design choice. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto. 

1. A treated fabric or textile, comprising: a textile or fabric material; a sugar alcohol component; a carbonate component; and a suitable binder to affix the sugar alcohol component and the carbonate component to the textile or fabric material.
 2. The treated fabric or textile of claim 1, further including the suitable binder includes natural binders comprising casein, latex rubbers, chicle, alginates, xanthan, carrageenan or mixtures thereof, or synthetic binders comprising synthetic acrylic copolymers, glycerol ethoxylate-co-propoxylates, styrene acrylate copolymers, vinyl acrylate copolymers, silicon copolymers or mixtures thereof.
 3. The treated fabric or textile of claim 1, wherein the sugar alcohol component includes xylitol, mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, lactitol, isomalt, maltitol, hydrogenated starch, hydrolysates (HSH) or mixtures thereof.
 4. The treated fabric or textile of claim 1, wherein the carbonate component includes sodium bicarbonate, potassium carbonate, lithium carbonate, caesium carbonate, francium carbonate, rubidium carbonate or mixtures thereof.
 5. The treated fabric or textile of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the sugar alcohol component to the carbonate component ranges from about 15:about 85 to about 25:about
 75. 6. The treated fabric or textile of claim 1, wherein the textile or fabric material is woven or non-woven textile or fabric material.
 7. A facemask, comprising: a facemask body including a plurality of sides and at least one layer of treated fabric or textile and adapted for disposal over the nostrils and mouth of a wearer, the treated fabric or textile including a textile or fabric material; a sugar alcohol component; a carbonate component; and a suitable binder to affix the sugar alcohol component and the carbonate component to the textile or fabric material; and first and second ear bands disposed on opposing sides of the facemask body and configured to maintain the plurality of sides of the facemask body in substantial contact with the skin surface of a wearer having a mouth and nose so as to substantially prevent the passage of airborne material in the environment into the nose and mouth of the wearer except through the treated fabric or textile of the facemask body.
 8. The facemask of claim 7, wherein the at least one layer of treated fabric or textile is porous.
 9. The treated fabric or textile of claim 7, further including the suitable binder includes natural binders comprising casein, latex rubbers, chicle, alginates, xanthan, carrageenan or mixtures thereof, or synthetic binders comprising synthetic acrylic copolymers, glycerol ethoxylate-co-propoxylates, styrene acrylate copolymers, vinyl acrylate copolymers, silicon copolymers or mixtures thereof.
 10. The treated fabric or textile of claim 7, wherein the sugar alcohol component includes xylitol, mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, lactitol, isomalt, maltitol, hydrogenated starch, hydrolysates (HSH) or mixtures thereof.
 11. The treated fabric or textile of claim 7, wherein the carbonate component includes sodium bicarbonate, potassium carbonate, lithium carbonate, caesium carbonate, francium carbonate, rubidium carbonate or mixtures thereof.
 12. The treated fabric or textile of claim 7, wherein the ratio of the sugar alcohol component to the carbonate component ranges from about 15:about 85 to about 25:about
 75. 13. The treated fabric or textile of claim 7, wherein the textile or fabric material is woven or non-woven textile or fabric material.
 14. A method of treating a fabric or textile material, comprising: mixing a combination of water, a sugar alcohol component, a carbonate component and a suitable binder to affix the sugar alcohol component and the carbonate component to the textile or fabric material to form an aqueous solution; and exposing the fabric or textile material to the aqueous solution.
 15. The method of claim 14, further including the suitable binder includes natural binders comprising casein, latex rubbers, chicle, alginates, xanthan, carrageenan or mixtures thereof, or synthetic binders comprising synthetic acrylic copolymers, glycerol ethoxylate-co-propoxylates, styrene acrylate copolymers, vinyl acrylate copolymers, silicon copolymers or mixtures thereof.
 16. The method of claim 14, wherein the sugar alcohol component includes xylitol, mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, lactitol, isomalt, maltitol, hydrogenated starch, hydrolysates (HSH) or mixtures thereof.
 17. The method of claim 14, wherein the carbonate component includes sodium bicarbonate, potassium carbonate, lithium carbonate, caesium carbonate, francium carbonate, rubidium carbonate or mixtures thereof.
 18. The method of claim 14, wherein the ratio of the sugar alcohol component to the carbonate component ranges from about 15:about 85 to about 25:about
 75. 19. The method of claim 14, wherein the textile or fabric material is woven or non-woven textile or fabric material. 